An Auckland biodiversity student is part of a team of scientists researching and monitoring humpback whales and their migration in the Cook Islands. Unitec student Abigail Robinson was offered the chance to meet the “whale lady,” Nan Hauser, and her team at the Centre for Cetacean Research and Conservation in 2014. Ms Hauser has been based in the Pacific for nearly 20 years, researching whales and raising awareness of their plight. What was supposed to be a two-week holiday for Ms Robinson turned into a research project.